If your children study in Pampanga, most of Tarlac, or the highland town of Atok in Benguet, keep them home on Friday: face-to-face classes are suspended on Friday, Sept. 4 as the Southwest Monsoon, or Habagat, keeps dropping rain and flooding on western Luzon. Several Cebu towns are also on the growing list, though for a separate reason, the lingering haze from forest fires in Indonesia.
Where face-to-face classes are suspended on Sept. 4
Local governments announced the suspensions on Thursday evening, following Wednesday’s Sept. 3 roundup, as flooding from the monsoon persisted. The list below reflects advisories as of 8:45 p.m. Thursday and may still grow overnight, so check your town or city’s official notice before heading out.
| Province | Area | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Pampanga | Apalit, Guagua, Minalin, San Fernando, San Simon, Sta. Ana, Sto. Tomas | All levels, public and private. Guagua and Sta. Ana are off through Saturday, Sept. 5; Minalin and Sta. Ana shift to alternative learning modes. |
| Tarlac | All areas | All levels, public and private, through Saturday, Sept. 5 |
| Benguet | Atok | No face-to-face classes, preschool to senior high school, public and private |
A few LGUs put out their own separate notices, including Masantol and Sta. Rita in Pampanga, tracked by the Summit Express roundup. In San Fernando, Pampanga, teaching and non-teaching personnel are also excused from reporting.
Why: Habagat keeps hammering western Luzon
The suspensions come as Pilandok exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility, but the monsoon it helped pull in keeps feeding heavy rain into the west. PAGASA warns of strong to gale-force gusts through Saturday, especially in coastal and upland areas of Luzon and the Visayas and parts of Mindanao, with monsoon rains expected to affect western Luzon and the Visayas until Sunday.
For commuters and families who still need to go out, expect flooded roads in the usual low-lying spots and delayed trips. Keep rain gear ready even where skies look clear, since Habagat showers tend to arrive in sudden, heavy bursts.
Cebu towns suspend classes over Indonesian haze
Meanwhile, several towns in Cebu province suspended face-to-face classes on Friday because of the transboundary haze from Kalimantan’s forest fires, not rain. Minglanilla, Talisay City and Carcar City called off public school classes, while Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City and San Fernando suspended classes in both public and private schools, with San Fernando shifting to alternative learning modes.
It is the haze that pushed Metro Manila air to ‘unhealthy’ earlier this week, prompting health reminders to limit outdoor activity and wear masks when going out.
What to do next
This is an evolving list. DepEd’s automatic suspension rules let towns and cities decide on their own based on rainfall warnings and local flooding, so the safest move is to confirm with your school and local government. If your area is not listed, classes generally proceed, but give yourself extra travel time.
